Reps threaten to issue warrant of arrest on agencies over mismanagement of agric funds

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives Committee on Nutrition and Food Security on Tuesday threatened to issue warrant of arrest on agencies over their absence at the on-going investigation into the Anchor Borrowers Scheme and other policies of the federal government Agriculture Programs

The Chairman of the House Committee Hon.Dr.Chike Okafor and some other lawmakers who expressed dismay over the absence of key invited agencies in the agriculture sector of the nation’s economy at the National Assembly, yesterday, said no mercy will show to those that disobeyed the committee.

He listed some of the agencies that were invited and didn’t honour the House Committee’s invitation as Bank of Industry BOI, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, NAQS, National Agricultural Land Development Authority NALDA, National Agricultural Seed Council and NISARL Micro-Finance Bank.

The Committee chairman Hon.Okafor  said that outside the Managing Director of the Bank of Industry BOI wrote to the Committee be excused from the investigation as he travelled outside the country,

 other agencies that did not honour the House Committee’s invitation will be made to appear unfailingly before the probe panel.

The House Committee had in an opening remarks stayed that the investigation is not a which hunt rather it is to uncover the truth, identity systemic failures and ensure that funds budgeted for food security is judiciously used.

He said that the investigation is to to find out If truly these huge funds budgeted for food production are utilized in a judicious manner in other to ensure food security in the country.

He said “As contained in the motion, the House is interested to know the following:

• How Central Bank of Nigeria, through the Anchor Borrowers Program (ABP) disbursed about 1.12 trillion naira to 4.67 million farmers involved in either maize, rice or wheat farming through 563 anchors.

_How Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) disbursed N215,066,980,274.50 so far to facilitate agriculture and agrobusinesses.

• How Bank of Industry disbursed N3 billion to 22,120 small holder farmers through the Agriculture Value Chain Financing (AVCF) programme. Additionally, the bank funded 49 agro and food processing businesses with N59.4 billion in loans.
• In 2023, the Federal Government unveiled a N5 billion loan facility to the Bank of Agriculture for Livestock farmers across the country.

“ National Agricultural Development Fund in March, 2024 inaugurated a N1.6 billion Recovery Fund for the Ginger Blight Epidemics Central Task Force (GBECT) for the control of blight disease in Ginger

 And indeed other interventions and programmes done by relevant Agencies for agricultural development and food security.

“One of the key oversight mandates of the Committee is to ensure proper implementation of intervention programmes by relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government related to food security and nutrition” he said

At the hearing, the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN Governor Mr Olayemi Cardoso was represented by Mr Kwasari John Harman an acting director in CBN  said they disbursed 1.21 trillions and

871billion among others

The apex bank said that all the commercial banks in the country received funds from the federal government on the Anchor Borrowers Scheme of the previous administration.